Retractable toggle clamp



Jan. 28, 1964 I KUMMER-M'AN 3,119,636

RETRACTABLE TOGGLE CLAMP Filed July 25, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 32 1 3o310\. 49 t fi I 31 I E: I I: Q 22 1 23 27 27 v 27' 24 y .l 27 r if 10L-F I10 I T 42 l/ 2a FY61 INVENTOR HENRI KUMMERM AN Jan. 28, 1964 H.KUMMERMAN RETRACTABLE TOGGLE CLAMP 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 25, 1961INVENTOR HENRI KUMMERMAN ATT RNEYS Jan. 28, 1964 KUMMERMAN 3,119,636

RETRACTABLE TOGGLE CLAMP Filed July 25, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORl-IENR/ KUMMERMAN A TTOREE Y5 Jan. 28, 1964 KUMMERMAN 3,119,636

RETRACTABLE TOGGLE CLAMP Filed July 25, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 HENRIKUMMERMAN WWW ATTOR/VE' 15 United States Patent Ofilice 3,119,635Patented Jan. 28, 1954 3,119,636 RETRAQTAELE TOGGLE CLAMP HenriKurnmerman, Paris, France, assignor to International MacGregorOrganization (I.M.G.0.) Filed .Iuly 25, 1961., Ser. No. 126,535 (llaimspriority, application France Nov. 4-, 1960 Glainrs. (61. 292-4565) Thisinvention relates essentially to a quick-operated locking device forpressing, clamping or assembling two parts together.

Quick-action locking devices of this general type are known whichcomprise notably a tenon or like support rigid with one of said parts, atie-rod or like element extending through an aperture or the like formedin the other part, an eccentric cam or like member acting as a clampingpad adapted to bear on said tenon and pivoted on the rod end adjacent tosaid tenon, an adjustable abutment or stop member carried by said rodadjacent to its opposite end, on the other side of the other of saidparts, a resilient element mounted on said rod and interposed betweensaid abutment and said other part, and a detachable control handle foractuating said cam member and pressing same on said tenon. Although thistype of locking or clamping device has a great variety of practicalapplications, it is described herein with specific reference to a toggleclam-p adapted to lock hatches or like covers on a ship and to form and/or preserve a fluid-tight joint between the hatch and the relevantcontact edge of the hatchway coaming.

In hitherto known locking devices of this character the joint-tighteningrods or at least their cam members were supported in their inoperativeposition by the coaming side plates or platforms and could thusconstitute an obstacle to the free movements of the hatches byinterfering with members solid with these panels, such as the rollersrolling on the trackways or guide rails formed on or supported by thecoamings. With this invention it is possible to retract the movableportion of the locking device behind the face on the abutment side ofthe other part as mentioned in the preceding paragraph, so that thedevice can be retracted completely within the coaming plate; thisinvention is remarkable notably in that the locking device comprises asupport or like element solid with that face of said other part which ison the abutment side of said tie-rod, that is, in this case, of thelower face of the coaming plate, said support receiving the pressurefrom said abutment and being adapted to act as a casing for housing saidcam in its inoperative position so that this cam will not project fromthe other face on the side of the first part, that is, the upper face ofthe coaming plate.

On the other hand, the known devices of this character did not compriseany means for protecting them against accidental overloads likely todamage them. Such overloads might result, for example, from a difiicultactuation of the device due to an excessive tightening as a consequenceof a faulty adjustment of the position of the abutment member, or to anabnormal effort occurring when separating two parts to be locked orclamped, such as an excessive lifting effort applied to the hatch-cover.

With the present invention this drawback can be avoided in that,according to another feature characterizing this invention, the devicecomprises safety means protecting it against overloads, these meansconsisting preferably of certain easily replaceable elements having alower mechanical strength than the other component elements of thedevice, said easily replaceable elements being adapted to break whensubjected to a predetermined limit load. This limit load is calculatedwith a view not to damage the other component elements of the device.

According to a further feature characterizing this invention, theaforesaid weaker elements consists of interchangeable connecting orassembling member comprising at least a cross-sectional area such as tobreak up when a predetermined limit load is overstepped.

This invention is also concerned with different forms of embodiment ofthe locking device broadly set forth hereinabove, and notably with itsuse as a toggle clamp for tightly locking the hatch-covers of a shipshold, with a view more particularly to provide and/ or maintaining awater-tight joint between said covers and the contact edge of thehatchway.

Other features and advantages of this invention will appear as thefollowing description proceeds with reference to the accompanyingdrawings illustrating more particularly the application of the lockingdevice to the closing of hatch-cover elements on ships, it beingunderstood that other appliactions than, and changes in, the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be contemplated withinthe scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention. In the drawings:

FIGURE *1 is a diagrammatic part-sectional, part-elevational viewshowing a toggle clamp for tightly locking a hatch-cover which isconstructed according to the teachings of this invention and illustratedin its locked and operative position;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic section taken upon the line II--II of FIGURE1;

FIGURE 3 is another diagrammatic part-sectional, part-elevational Viewshowing an alternate embodiment of a toggle clamp according to thisinvention;

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic fragmentary side elevational view of thedevice of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic elevational view showing another embodimentof the toggle clamp of this invention;

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic fragmentary side view of the toggle clamp ofFIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the hatch-coverlocking device in its inoperative and retracted position;

FIGURE 8 is a View similar to FIGURE 7 but showing the device in itsoperative but unlocked position; and

FIGURE 9 is a similar view showing the device in its operative andlocked position.

Referring more particularly to the form of embodiment of the inventionwhich is illustrated in FIGURE 1, it will be seen that the hatch-coveror panel element desinated broadly by the reference numeral 1 comprisesessentially a top plate 2 and side walls 3. A packing channel 4consisting of an inverted U section secured on the inner side of thewall 3 has fitted therein a resilient sealing gasket 5 of rubber orother similar material. A sea-ling bar 6, adapted to form a fluid-tightjoint with its upper edge engaging the gasket 5, is welded along itslower edge on the coming plate or platform 7 secured on the outer sideof the coaming 8. This coaming plate 7 carries a guide rail 9 locatedexternally of the side wall 3 of the hatch-cover ll and adapted toreceive in rolling engagement the rollers mounted on this panel. A tenonor like projecting support It) is secured on the outer face of the sidewall 3. This tenon it) may have either a solid configuration as shown inFIGURES 1, 2, 5 and 6, or a forked configuration as shown in FIGURES 3and 4-. A tie-rod 11 extends through an opening 12 for-med in theplatform 7 and comprises a screw-threaded lower portion engaged by aself-locking or like nut 13 acting as an adjustable abutmentv Aresilient member 14 consisting either of a rubber block or of a metalspring is mounted freely on the rod 11 between two metal washers 15 orthe like above the nut 13. This rod 11 is formed at its upper end withan integral pivot eye 16. An eccentric or like cam member 17 isconnected through a single or double hinge to the eye 16 of rod 11.Thus, according to the form of embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1 and2, this cam member 17 is connected to the rod 11 through the medium of astrap or yoke 18 consisting in the manner known per se of two pairedshackles 19 assembled for example by means of a rivet or like member 2!}(see FIG- URE 2). This strap 13 is mounted on the eye 16 of rod 11 bymeans of a pivot pin 21. The cam member 17 is pivoted at the other endof the strap 13 by means of another pivot pin 22 extending through ahole 23 formed in this cam member and fastened thereto for example bymeans of a cross pin 24 or the like. According to another form ofembodiment illustrated in FIGURES and 6 the cam member 17 may be pivotedon the rod 11 by means of a link or like element 25 passing through thepivot hole 23 of cam 17 and the eye 16 of rod 11.

Finally, according to another modified embodiment of this invention, asillustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings, the tenon 10 and cammember 17 may have a forked configuration and the eye 16 of rod 11,located between the two sides of cam member 17, is pivoted directly onthis member by means of the pivot pin 22.

In the locked position the cam member 17 engages the tenon 10 throughthe medium of two separate, spaced bearing faces, that is, one pontionof a fiat face 26 adapted to engage a corresponding fiat portion 2s ofthe tenon, and one portion of a projecting surface 27 having a roundedconvex contour adapted to engage a corresponding recess or notch 27'formed in the tenon 10' and consisting of a recessed surface pontionhaving a concave contour.

In the locked position the homologous bearing surfaces 26, 26' and 27,27 in mutual contact are located on either side of the longitudinal axisof rod 11.

In known devices of this general type the upper washer 15, in the lockedposition, engages the underface of [the coaming plate or platform 7. Inthe device of this invention, a support 28 is secured on the lower faceof the coaming plate 7 in alignment with the opening 12. This support 28may have for example the shape of a U with a flat bottom 19 throughwhich an axial hole 30 also aligned with the opening 12 is formed andreceives the rod 11, as shown. In the locked position, this fiat bottomis engaged by the upper washer 15. The shape and dimension of theopening 12, the depth of the space provided between the two sides of theU-shaped support 28 and the relative spacing of these two sides are suchthat in the inoperative position the cam member 17 may pass through theopening 12 so as to nest completely within the support 23 with its upperface 39 just flush with the upper face of the coarning platform 7 (seeFIGURE 7). In this retracted position the cam member 17 cannot interferewith the movements of the rollers (not shown) of the hatch-cover on theguide rails 9.

The cam member 17, on its lever arm opposite to the lever arm engagingthe tenon 10, and preferably on its upper face 30, has an orifice 31formed therein, in which the end or tip 32 of the detachable controllever 33 may be fitted. For the sake of convenience and if this ispermitted by the space available for the angular movements of thecontrol handle, this orifice 31 may be formed as shown at 310, at rightangles to the axis of cam 17.

To avoid any possibility of damaging the toggle clamp in case ofaccidental overload occurring in one of its component elements, safetymeans are provided, preferably in certain connecting or assemblingmembers. The connecting members selected for this purpose comprise atleast a cross-sectional area adapted to yield and break when apredetermined limit load is applied thereto, without detrimentallyaffecting the other component elements. According to the preferred formof embodiment illustrated the breakable connecting elements consist onthe one hand of the pivot pin 22 adapted to be readily replaced whcnbroken, this pin breaking for example when an abnormal lifting stress isapplied to the hatchway cover 1, and on the other hand of the fittingend or tip 32 of the control lever 33 which is so designed as to breakin case of an abnormal resistance occurring in its operation due, forexample to an excessive tightening of the nut 13, so as to provide anefiicient protection for all the other component elements of the toggledevice.

The operation of the locking device of this invention is describedhereafter from the initial unlocked and retracted position of the devicewhich is shown in FIG- URE 7.

The rod 11 is raised up to the position shown in FIG- URE 8, and theprojection 27 of cam member 17 is placed into the relevant notch 27' oftenon It The upward movement of rod 11 causes the upper washer 15 tocontact the lower bearing face 29 of the U-shaped support 28. The tip 32of control lever 33 is fitted into the hole 31 of cam member 17 and thecontrol handle 33 is raised to a substantially vertical position whilecompressing the resilient block 14. During this movement, the cam member17 pivots about its momentary fulcrum consisting of the successive linesof contact of its projection 27 with the notch 27 formed in the tenon10. When the elements are in their locked and eccentric position asshown in FIGURE 9 the resilient block 14 provides a force directeddownwards along the longitudinal axis of rod 11 so as to safely hold theparts in their locked position. The cam member 17 can easily be lockedon the tenon 10 by simply raising the handle 33 and without screwing anymember whatsoever. By looking the cam member 17 on its support 10 thelatter and therefore the hatchway cover or panel element 1 with itssealing gasket 5 are lowered, so that a water-tight joint is formedbetween the gasket 5 and the sealing bar 6. -If this joint is alreadyformed by the pressure resulting from the weight of the hatchway cover 1alone, it will be maintained by locking of the cam member 17 relative toits support 16.

When it is desired to unlock or release the cover 1 for removing same,the handle 33 is lowered to free the cam member 17 from its support 10,then the tip of handle 33 is removed from the orifice 31 in cam member17 and the rod 11 is lowered until the cam member 17 has collapsedwithin the recess formed by the support 28.

Of course, the invention should not be construed as being limited to theforms of embodiment given in the attached drawings and describedhereinabove, as many modifications and variations may be brought theretowithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invenrtion andappended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A quick operated releasable locking device adapted to tightly securea first part in abutting relationship against a second part, andcomprising at least one outwardly proecting lug rigid with said firstpart and having at least one bearing edge facing away from said secondpart and formed with a curved recess and a flat seating portion spacedfrom said recess and substantially perpendicular to said first part,res-training means consisting of a laterally projecting double-sidedflange member secured to said second part and formed with an openingtherethrough, a swing dog bolt having a shank extending freely throughsaid opening formed in said flange member, a toggleclamp lever formedwith at least one eccentric cam member pivotally secured at its centralportion through an intermediate link member to that end of said dog boltwhich is towards said lug, said cam member being formed at one end withan orifice and at its opposite end with at least one convex roundedprojection and one flat counterstop portion spaced from each other andadapted to engage in matching relationship said curved recess and saidseating portion of said lug respectively at points lying on oppositesides of the longitudinal axis of said shank in the locked positionthereof whereas said pivotal connections of said cam and shank aresubstantially aligned at right angles to said seating portion, anadjustable abutment mounted on said shank near its opposite free end onthe other side of said flange member, a resilient element mounted onsaid shank and interposed in cngageablc relationship between saidabutment and said flange member, a detachable operating handle foractuating said toggleclamp lever and causing said cam member thereof tobear on said lug, said handle having a tip portion snugly insertable insaid orifice and said toggle-clamp lever having at least one frangiblepart selected fromthe group including the pivotal connection of said cammember and said tip portion of said handle and adapted to break at agiven stress to prevent overload, a bracket means integral with andprojecting from said other side of said flange member about said openingtherein and provided with a bearing end face formed with a holesubstantially registering with said opening for the passage of saidshank therethrough and engageable by said abutment through saidresilient element, said bracket consisting of a stirrup-like pantforming a hollow recess for accommodating said toggleclamp lever in itsinoperative position, so that the latter is entirely retractable in saidrecess and does not protrude from said flange member on the side of saidfirst part.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said toggleclamp lever ispivotally connected through said cam memher to one end of a pair ofsubstantially parallel elongated flat side plates integral with oneanother, hin-gedly secured by their opposite ends to said that 'end ofthe shank of said dog bolt, and straddling said shank and cam member.

3. A device according to 1013-1111 1, wherein said cam member and saidlug are each bifurcated in shape, with two parallel corresponding arms,straddling the connecting end of said dog bolt.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said toggleclamp lever ispivotally connected through said cam member to said that end of theshank of said dog bolt by means of a chain link forming a one-pieceshackle.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said abutment comprises a nutmeans threaded on said opposite end of the shank of said dog bolt andsaid resilient element comprises a washer of elastic material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,665,128 Guffey Ian. 5, 1954 2,901,279 MacNaugh-t et al Aug. 25, 19592,922,671 Wolfson Jan. 26, 1960 2,991,108 Tantlin-ger July 4, 1961FOREIGN PATENTS 1,224,209 France Feb. 8, 1960

1. A QUICK OPERATED RELEASABLE LOCKING DEVICE ADAPTED TO TIGHTLY SECUREA FIRST PART IN ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP AGAINST A SECOND PART, ANDCOMPRISING AT LEAST ONE OUTWARDLY PROJECTING LUG RIGID WITH SAID FIRSTPART AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE BEARING EDGE FACING AWAY FROM SAID SECONDPART AND FORMED WITH A CURVED RECESS AND A FLAT SEATING PORTION SPACEDFROM SAID RECESS AND SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID FIRST PART,RESTRAINING MEANS CONSISTING OF A LATERALLY PROJECTING DOUBLE-SIDEDFLANGE MEMBER SECURED TO SAID SECOND PART AND FORMED WITH AN OPENINGTHERETHROUGH, A SWING DOG BOLT HAVING A SHANK EXTENDING FREELY THROUGHSAID OPENING FORMED IN SAID FLANGE MEMBER, A TOGGLECLAMP LEVER FORMEDWITH AT LEAST ONE ECCENTRIC CAM MEMBER PIVOTALLY SECURED AT ITS CENTRALPORTION THROUGH AN INTERMEDIATE LINK MEMBER TO THAT END OF SAID DOG BOLTWHICH IS TOWARDS SAID LUG, SAID CAM MEMBER BEING FORMED AT ONE END WITHAN ORIFICE AND AT ITS OPPOSITE END WITH AT LEAST ONE CONVEX ROUNDEDPROJECTION AND ONE FLAT COUNTERSTOP PORTION SPACED FROM EACH OTHER ANDADAPTED TO ENGAGE IN MATCHING RELATIONSHIP SAID CURVED RECESS AND SAIDSEATING PORTION OF SAID LUG RESPECTIVELY AT POINTS LYING ON OPPOSITESIDES OF THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SHANK IN THE LOCKED POSITIONTHEREOF WHEREAS SAID PIVOTAL CONNECTIONS OF SAID CAM AND SHANK ARESUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID SEATING PORTION, ANADJUSTABLE ABUTMENT MOUNTED ON SAID SHANK NEAR ITS OPPOSITE FREE END ONTHE OTHER SIDE OF SAID FLANGE MEMBER, A RESILIENT ELEMENT MOUNTED ONSAID SHANK AND INTERPOSED IN ENGAGEABLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SAIDABUTMENT AND SAID FLANGE MEMBER, A DETACHABLE OPERATING HANDLE FORACTUATING SAID TOGGLECLAMP LEVER AND CAUSING SAID CAM MEMBER THEREOF TOBEAR ON SAID LUG, SAID HANDLE HAVING A TIP PORTION SNUGLY INSERTABLE INSAID ORIFICE AND SAID TOGGLE-CLAMP LEVER HAVING AT LEAST ONE FRANGIBLEPART SELECTED FROM THE GROUP INCLUDING THE PIVOTAL CONNECTION OF SAIDCAM MEMBER AND SAID TIP PORTION OF SAID HANDLE AND ADAPTED TO BREAK AT AGIVEN STRESS TO PREVENT OVERLOAD, A BRACKET MEANS INTEGRAL WITH ANDPROJECTING FROM SAID OTHER SIDE OF SAID FLANGE MEMBER ABOUT SAID OPENINGTHEREIN AND PROVIDED WITH A BEARING END FACE FORMED WITH A HOLESUBSTANTIALLY REGISTERING WITH SAID OPENING FOR THE PASSAGE OF SAIDSHANK THERETHROUGH AND ENGAGEABLE BY SAID ABUTMENT THROUGH SAIDRESILIENT ELEMENT, SAID BRACKET CONSISTING OF A STIRRUP-LIKE PARTFORMING A HOLLOW RECESS FOR ACCOMMODATING SAID TOGGLECLAMP LEVER IN ITSINOPERATIVE POSITION, SO THAT THE LATTER IS ENTIRELY RETRACTABLE IN SAIDRECESS AND DOES NOT PROTRUDE FROM SAID FLANGE MEMBER ON THE SIDE OF SAIDFIRST PART.